LABOR LEGISLATION.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2038, 25 March 1907, Page 4

LABOR LEGISLATION.

LONDON, February 8 A long article on industrial arbitration in New Zealand, headed “A Doubtful Boon,” is contributed by Mr. Ramsay MacDonald, M.P., to a London morning paper, in tho course of which the writer says: “How many winged hours have I spent with those little puzzles called ‘Pigs in Clover.’ For half a generation tho Goverment of New Zealand has been trying to got the little pigs of labor grievances safely boxed, but there they are to this day running freely about, knocking each other in and knocking each other out in a most irritating way. The artful tilt that was to settle so many of them was the Arbitration Act. The original promoters of the Act hoped that it would make trade unionism universal, strikes impossible, and friendly conciliation between masters and men general. Truly, strikes have become almost impossible because the union which indulges in them is outside the pale of the law. But the Act which was to establish conciliation has in reality defeated it. When tho more idyllic dreams of conciliation faded, and New Zealand found herself on the harder and more formal realities of legal decisions, the workmen got more and more into the mental rut of considering the Courts as being in the main instruments for raising wages. ‘Why,’ they argued, ‘should we not he able to bring evidence that wo are not receiving a fair share of the produce of our labor, and why should not the Courts award us that fair share?’ Well, wages have been raised —a little- —not more than about 81 per cent, in a dozen years on the average, thougt tho increase in some trades lias been higher. But, behold, there has been something magical about those added pounds and shillings. Their value- has not been

twenty shillings and twelve pence apparently, hut something less. For the meeting of the employers’ executives which accepted the awards of the Courts proceeded with a grin to

transact other business. They resolved upon an increase in prices, and with their left hands took away the advantages which the Arbitration Courts compelled their right to offer to the workers. Thus an award giv-

ing increased pay to the butchers of Wellington, costing £2OOO, was followed by a penny increase in the

Price of meat all over the colony, which represented an extra profit of £30,000. A miners’ award in the

neighborhood of Dunedin, which cost about 6d per ton of coals, was followed by an increase of Is per ton to the middlemen and 2s to the consumers. My notebook contains many similar instances. The tilt necessary to get the little pigs of high wages comfortably secured has knocked out the little pigs of high prices which are now bumping about all over the

place making the gain of high wages of little avail. Whilst wages have boon raised 8j per cent., the cost of living has increased from 25 to 50 per cent. Finally, to crown the mysteries of these things, the arbitration judges have never laid down any basis upon which they give their awards. Sometimes they consider the profits of the trade, sometimes they say profits have nothing to do with wages. Sometimes they demand proof that the cost of living has been raised, sometimes they do not. No one knows what is going to happen.

My own conclusion is that New Zealand, having cut out for herself a path by Arbitration Acts, would be foolish to turn back. She should adapt her future legislation to her past experiments.”